Product Description

Praise for The ParentPreneur Edge

"Who needs an MBA? Julie's book teaches you how to use your parenting experiences to build a business. Brilliant stuff!"
—Mary Cantando, author, The Woman's Advantage: 20 Women Entrepreneurs Show You What It Takes to Grow Your Business

"Finally! Something that successfully illustrates that parenthood is clearly an asset to gaining the edge in business and success. Julie has written a valuable book that inspires, motivates, and educates."
—Gina Robison-Billups, President, Moms In Business Network and The International Association of Working Mothers

"Whether you already have your own business or are thinking about starting one, you need to read this book. Full of actionable ideas that, when adopted, will bring benefits to your business before you're even done reading the book!"
—Dr. Tom Hill, coauthor, Chicken Soup for the Entrepreneur's Soul

"At last—a book that demolishes the polarization of parenting and work! The skills and talents developed through parenting are a mirror image of those developed and needed in entrepreneurship. Julie Lenzer Kirk's . . . firsthand experience blows away abstractions and shows both parents and entrepreneurs how to thrive. This is a necessary and inspiring book for anyone wanting a whole life."
—Margaret Heffernan, author, The Naked Truth and How She Does It, Visiting Professor in Entrepreneurship, Simmons College School of Management

"Julie Lenzer Kirk integrates parenting and entrepreneurship in a way that incorporates the best of both worlds with a message that screams: You can do it all and enjoy it too!"
—Claudia Morrell, Executive Director, Center for Women and Information Technology

"This engaging book will inspire readers by showing them how the lessons and skills they've learned as parents can give them an edge in launching a business."
—Rieva Lesonsky, Editorial Director, Entrepreneur magazine

"Julie makes the case that parenthood and entrepreneurship are the two toughest jobs you will ever love. Successful parenting skills can be put to great use when you journey down the exciting path of entrepreneurship. This book will help readers make that important connection."
—Monica Smiley, Publisher and CEO, Enterprising Women magazine

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #867164 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-15
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 278 pages

From the Inside Flap

Most people think you can't be serious about your business and also be a good parent. Or, if you're a good parent, you have to let things slide at work. The truth is, says Julie Lenzer Kirk, there are more similarities between these two roles than there are differences. Working parents share the same experiences and develop comparable skills—skills that can be drawn upon to provide an advantage in any business.

Unfortunately, there's no entrance exam for becoming an entrepreneur, and no way to earn a degree in parenting. Most of us start businesses or become parents without all the skills or tools needed to succeed, but we do it anyway. By sharing compelling stories of dedicated parents who run successful businesses, The ParentPreneur Edge offers inspiring proof that common wisdom is wrong. You'll learn how the abilities and lessons learned in one facet of your life can easily be applied to the other.

Julie Lenzer Kirk, a successful entrepreneur and mother, offers the word "ParentPreneur" as a way to describe entrepreneurs who are also parents. In The ParentPreneur Edge, she provides a proven, winning formula for everyone who's looking to embark on their own business adventure—or take their existing business to the next level—while still making time to balance a family life.

Julie has found five key traits that give parents an edge in their careers, whether they are running their own business or working in a larger organization: resourcefulness, perseverance, patience, passion, and vision. An expert who developed a multimillion-dollar business while raising her young children, she includes a wealth of practical advice on launching, growing, and running an entrepreneurial business.

The ultimate similarity between parenting and entrepreneurial leadership, this book reveals, is that you are building a legacy. As parents, we want to raise children who are happy, responsible citizens. As entrepreneurs, many of us create companies that we hope will make a contribution to our customers, our employees, and our community. We want to make a positive impact on the world, or at least our corner of it. The ParentPreneur Edge will show you how.

About the Author
Julie Lenzer Kirk is an award-winning entrepreneur who is passionate about empowering others into entrepreneurship. She is a business owner, mentor, author, international speaker, community volunteer, and mother of two. Julie founded her first company, a software and services firm called Applied Creative Technologies, Inc. (ACT), when her children were young, and grew her business to multimillions in revenues. After cashing out and selling ACT's software to a business partner, she now teaches entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and runs another business, Path Forward International. Through this new venture, she offers workshops, consulting, and keynotes to give entrepreneurial companies and individuals a "Boot in the Butt" to launch new ideas, grow existing ventures, find their work/life balance, and fine-tune their leadership skills. You can subscribe to Julie's monthly Boot in the Butt newsletter through her Web site at www.JulieLenzerKirk.com.

Customer Reviews

great book! sheri doyle, author: One of the Best Things
i am an entrepreneur who over the course of ten years has owned and sold many businesses. I know there is always something new to learn about being an entrepreneur and this book is a great example of that! i read this book with joy and enthusiasm, feeling more like i was talking to a friend than reading a business book. Julie has great ideas, and a wonderful way of expressing them. As I read the book I took so many notes from ideas of Julie's, her examples in the book and from ideas inspired by what i read. This book proved to be invaluable for the fresh approach it inspired not only in me, but the ideas i was able to share with others who are just starting out.

Magnificent and informative! that sums it up
Ms. Lenzer Kirk did a great job of relaying her wealth of business and parenting knowledge in a fun and informative way! Finally, I have found a book that really tells it like it is. It is a "How to make business and family decisions without having a nervous breakdown". I left corporate america and am now starting a small business. The book taught me that my small business can turn into a big/multimillion dollar business! Everything I need to know is written in the book, from startup concerns, employee hiring/firing, finance issues, HR information and how to attract and retain customers. Each chapter ending has a great summary. There are also many other resources for helpful websites, books, and business groups that can assist anyone. This book is for business minded people. I enjoyed reading the parenting information/advice just as much as the business expertise. After reading the book you feel like you have gained a new best friend, and a smart one at that! I now want to invite her over for a cup of coffee.

Young and old
I bought two copies for my daughters-in-law, who are both thinking about starting their own businesses, now that they have children. But, I am also planning to start my third business and found it extremely helpful, concise and relevant. I especially appreciated all the real-life stories about other entrepreneurs used to illustrate the lessons the author had learned in her own business.